


Wherever You May Go

by fairyfires



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Canon Era, Court Sorcerer Merlin, Fluff, I may make this into a one-shot series?? i dunno man stay tuned, Idiots in Love, M/M, One Shot, Pining Gwaine, Pining Merlin, Post-Canon, Short & Sweet, alternative summary: two gays go horseback riding into the woods ft. some cool flowers gwaine found, but also...., but they Don't Know It's Mutual Yet(tm)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-30
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-09-02 13:27:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16787848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairyfires/pseuds/fairyfires
Summary: The journey isn't at all perilous; the plant Merlin is seeking isn't defended by deadly creatures, or growing in the heart of bandit country in the far reaches of the kingdom. And yet, Gwaine follows along as if he can't bear to let him out of his sights.





	Wherever You May Go

Merlin rolled his eyes as he heard hoofbeats echoing those of his own horse. He didn’t need to look back to work out just who it was that had followed him out of the stables - but he twisted in his saddle to give the man a glimpse of his exasperated frown, anyways. “I told you, I’ll be _fine!_ You’re needed here with the other Knights, not following me all across Albion!” 

Gwaine pulled his horse into step with Merlin’s, laughing as if Merlin had told him the best joke he’d heard all spring. Flowers were woven into a lone braid in the stallion’s mane; the little wild daisies that Gwaine had always prefered, standing out like points of starlight in a wave of night sky. He wondered how Gwaine would look with the same braid in his hair.  “They’ll fare just fine without me,” Gwaine said, waving a hand airily. “Besides; you wouldn’t deny me a few nights of open sky, would you, Merlin?”

Merlin snorted derisively in a bid to hide the flutter his heart gave at Gwaine’s lopsided smile. “I doubt that the _ open sky _ is why you’ve tagged along.”

“Ah, so I’ve been found out.” He shot Merlin a glance, winking conspiratorially before one of his hands dropped from the reins. The flower he produced from the saddlebag at his side was the same red as Merlin’s scarf, the stem snipped a touch short. Gwaine bowed towards Merlin theatrically from astride his horse as he offered him the flower, hair falling in a curtain around his face. “I can hardly be blamed, of course. You’ve always made for a lovelier view than any setting sun or rising moon.”

For a moment, Merlin balked, feeling the tell-tale heat of a blush creeping its way up his neck. He was glad he was in a saddle; Merlin was almost certain he would have tripped over his own feet had he been walking. Gwaine was a charmer by nature, yet Merlin found himself caught off guard every single time the Knight’s attentions were directed at him. Merlin often found himself wondering if the flirting was intentional, or if Gwaine just didn’t know how to shut it off.

Merlin turned his eyes steadily forward, watching as the dirt road they travelled narrowed into a footpath through the forest. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Gwaine lifted his head, eyebrows furrowed and that alluring smirk missing from his lips. Merlin turned his head away before he could meet his gaze, feigning innocence as his eyes flashed with molten gold.

“ _Oi!_ ” Gwaine shouted, indignant.

Grinning, Merlin nudged his horse into a run, holding the red flower above his head triumphantly. Through the whistle of the wind whipping through his hair, Merlin heard boisterous laughter fading behind him before Gwaine had the sense to give chase.

He made a good effort, but Merlin’s horse had gotten enough of a headstart that he couldn't quite close the gap. He only managed to catch up when they came upon a wide creek, their horses pausing to consider the water before them. Gwaine craned sharply to the right, snagging the flower from Merlin’s fingertips; his touch lingered across the back of his hand, and if Merlin had been a poet, he could have written volumes of the light in his eyes and the warmth of his smile, outshining the midday sun overhead. 

Gwaine tucked the flower behind his ear, his thumb brushing over Merlin’s cheek along the way. “I’m not going to pick flowers for you anymore if you don’t put them to good use, Merlin.”

“Oh, really?” Merlin retorted. He wondered how much of his flushed face was the fault of the wind, and how much was brought on by Gwaine. Maybe if he wished for it fervently enough, he’d conjure up a spell that could mask it before Gwaine saw fit to tease him. “And I suppose you didn’t steal this one, then?”

Gwaine’s smile took on a different note. It was there for only a moment; it was enough to give Merlin pause, but not present long enough to decipher. “They grow in the grove northeast of the castle, where the trees are thickest. But, of course, if you don’t appreciate them…” 

Merlin felt like his mind had been running along a track that ended in an invisible stone wall. He hoped again for a spell that could conceal the redness of his cheeks; but the heat wasn’t budging. “ _No_ ,” he interrupted quickly, “no, I do. Appreciate them, I mean - thank you, Gwaine.”

Turning that odd, gentle smile on Merlin again, Gwaine urged his horse on through the creek, leaving Merlin dumbfounded at the bank to stare at the back of his head.

Gwaine had been on a patrol to the northeast in the early hours of the morning, when light was scarce and Merlin had just barely woken for the day.

Merlin was cautious that the wind didn't pluck it from his hair after that.

**Author's Note:**

> hi if ur reading this, i'm so sorry you're also trapped in Sold My Soul To Dead Fandom hell.
> 
> After all these years, I've still got such a soft spot for Merwaine?? I might end up adding on more one shots to this, but as of right now, I think I'm happy with how this one turned out, and I quite liked it as a standalone piece. If you have any writing requests, or just want to talk, hit me up at  emrys-the-ephemeral  on tumblr! Kudos and comments are very much appreciated forever and always. Thanks for stopping by!


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